I've read none of this thread, so apologies if this doesn't flow with recent posts, but I have to vent about the reaction of some our "fans" to Mark leaving.
<rant>
First of all, Mark Smith needs to make the decision that's best for him. He doesn't owe the university or its fans anything. If Mark feels it isn't going to work for him here and he's willing to sit out a year for a fresh start, so be it. For our "fans" to then call a 19 year old kid a "quitter" and "soft" and belittle him (especially on Twitter) is disgraceful. It's also totally counterproductive! Do you think our current recruits look at that and think "Wow, that's a fanbase I want to represent!"
If you feel like Mark should have put his head down and stuck it out, I get it. But look at it from his point of view. He was sold by our coaching staff on coming in and being the starting PG and leader of this team. However, it was clear from the first game of the season that he was never going to play PG in this system (even before Trent emerged). Now did Mark adjust well to that? No—and that's on him—but there's also little doubt in my mind that our staff told him what he wanted to hear to get him, with little intention of actually following through.
How would you feel if you were recruited for a new job and your employer sweet-talked you by telling you that you'll have a senior role with X, Y, and Z benefits. Then you start working and find out your being asked to fill a totally different role. I know I'd be pissed and start looking for a new job! Why do we ask athletes—especially amateur student-athletes—to do anything different?
Wake up folks, this is today's college basketball. Coaches ask players to leave, players tell coaches they're leaving. There's more player movement than ever before, and IMO it's not necessarily a bad thing (do we not live in a free market economy?). And guess what, we'll likely benefit from a player transferring to us from another program. Will we criticize him for his lack of loyalty to his previous program? I bet not.
</rant>